Systems and methods for estimating time of arrival for vehicle navigation

• US 8,892,359 B2
• Filed: 01/11/2013
• Issued: 11/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/11/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America Incorporated (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Wippler, Erik Anthony
• Primary Examiner(s): Cheung, Mary
• Assistant Examiner(s): Trivedi, Atul
• Application Number:
  US13/739,919
• Publication Number:
  US 20140200804A1
• Time in Patent Office: 676 Days
• Field of Search: 701/104, 701117-120, 701/123, 701/414, 701/423, 701/465
• US Class Current: 701/465
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3611 using character input or menus, e.g. menus of POIs character input methods in general G06F3/0233
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3697 Output of additional, non-guidance related information, e.g. low fuel level G01C21/3679 takes precedence

Abstract

Systems and methods for estimating time of arrival for vehicle navigation are described. One embodiment of a method includes determining a route for a vehicle to reach a destination from a current location determining, by the computing device, an estimated time for reaching the destination from the current location. Embodiments of the method additionally include determining, by the computing device, a current range of the vehicle, based on current fuel level and vehicle fuel efficiency and determining, by the computing device and based on the current range, whether the vehicle can reach the destination without refueling. Some embodiments include revising, by the computing device, the estimated time for reaching the destination to include a waypoint to refuel in response to determining that the vehicle cannot reach the destination without refueling and providing, by the computing device, the estimated time for reaching the destination for display to a user.

Claims

1. A method for estimating time of arrival for vehicle navigation comprising:

determining, by a computing device, a route for a vehicle to reach a destination from a current location;

determining, by the computing device, an estimated time for reaching the destination from the current location;

determining, by the computing device, a current range of the vehicle, based on a current fuel level and a vehicle fuel efficiency;

determining, by the computing device, based on the current range, and after the vehicle has traveled a portion of the planned route, whether the vehicle can reach the destination without refueling;

in response to determining that the vehicle cannot reach the destination without refueling, revising, by the computing device, the estimated time for reaching the destination to include a waypoint to refuel, wherein revising the estimated time includes calculating a time that the vehicle will be stopped at the waypoint; and

providing, by the computing device, the estimated time for reaching the destination for display to a user.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising predicting a user-based waypoint.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the user-based waypoint comprises at least one of the following:

a restroom stop, a restaurant stop, and a site seeing establishment stop.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the user-based waypoint is determined from at least one of the following:

a scheduling user input to schedule the waypoint for a future time, an impromptu user input to identify a stop at a present time, a determination based on previous user actions, and an action of the vehicle.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising storing user actions associated with the waypoint and wherein determining the user-based waypoint from previous user actions comprises utilizing previously stored user actions for predicting the waypoint along the route.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein determining the user-based waypoint from the action of the vehicle comprises determining that the vehicle is taking an impromptu waypoint without previous indication, determining a nature of the waypoint, and altering the estimated time for reaching the destination.

7. The method of claim 4, further comprising, in response to determining that the vehicle cannot reach the destination without refueling, rerouting the vehicle to account for the waypoint.

8. A system for estimating time of arrival for vehicle navigation comprising:

an odometer for determining distances traveled by the vehicle;

a fuel gauge for determining a current fuel level of the vehicle; and

a computing device, wherein the computing device stores logic that, when executed by a processor, causes the computing device to perform at least the following;

determine a distance for reaching a destination from a current location;

determine a current range of the vehicle, based on the current fuel level and a vehicle fuel efficiency;

determine, after the vehicle has traveled a portion of the planned route and based on the current range, whether the vehicle can reach the destination without refueling;

in response to determining that the vehicle cannot reach the destination without refueling, determine an estimated time for reaching the destination, wherein the estimated time for reaching the destination includes travel time to waypoint to refuel and a predicted time that the vehicle will be stopped at the waypoint; and

provide the estimated time for reaching the destination for display to a user.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the logic further causes the computing device to predict at least one of the following:

a user-based waypoint and a vehicle-based waypoint.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the user-based waypoint comprises at least one of the following:

a restroom stop, a restaurant stop, and a site seeing establishment stop.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the user-based waypoint is determined from at least one of the following:

a scheduling user input to schedule the waypoint for a future time, an impromptu user input to identify a stop at a present time, a determination based on previous user actions, and an action of the vehicle.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the logic further causes the computing device to store a user action associated with the waypoint and wherein determining the user-based waypoint from previous user actions comprises utilizing previously stored user actions for predicting the waypoint along a route of the vehicle.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein determining the user-based waypoint from the action of the vehicle comprises determining that the vehicle is taking an impromptu waypoint without previous indication, determining a nature of the waypoint, and altering the estimated time for reaching the destination.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein, in response to determining that the vehicle cannot reach the destination without refueling, the logic further causes the computing device to reroute the vehicle to account for the waypoint.

15. A system for estimating time of arrival for vehicle navigation comprising:

a vehicle; and

a computing device, wherein the computing device stores logic that, when executed by a processor, causes the computing device to perform at least the following;

determine an estimated time for reaching a destination from a current location;

predict, after the vehicle has traveled a portion of a route to the destination, whether a waypoint will be taken before reaching the destination;

in response to determining that the vehicle will take the waypoint before reaching the destination, revise the estimated time for reaching the destination to include the wherein revising the estimated time includes calculating a time that the vehicle will be stopped at the waypoint; and

provide the estimated time for reaching the destination for display to a user.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein determining whether the waypoint will be taken before reaching the destination comprises at least one of the following:

predicting a user-based waypoint and predicting a vehicle-based waypoint.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the user-based waypoint comprises at least one of the following:

a restroom stop, a restaurant stop, and a site seeing establishment stop and wherein the vehicle-based waypoint comprises at least one of the following;

refueling, vehicle maintenance, and a weather-related stop.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the user-based waypoint is determined from at least one of the following:

a scheduling user input to schedule the waypoint for a future time, an impromptu user input to identify a stop at a present time, a determination based on previous user actions, and an action of the vehicle.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the logic further causes the computing device to store a user action associated with the waypoint and wherein determining the user-based waypoint from previous user actions comprises utilizing previously stored user actions for predicting the waypoint along a route of the vehicle.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein determining the user-based waypoint from the action of the vehicle comprises determining that the vehicle is taking an impromptu waypoint without previous indication, determining a nature of the waypoint, and altering the estimated time for reaching the destination.